


The Greatest of These

by The_Bookkeeper



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Multi, Multi-Era, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-25
Updated: 2012-12-25
Packaged: 2017-11-22 10:26:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/608825
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Bookkeeper/pseuds/The_Bookkeeper
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Doctor loves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Greatest of These

The Doctor loves Rose.

   Rose loves the Doctor, in her simplistic, innocent way.

   Their love shines like the sun, and he is irresistibly drawn to it even as he shies away. He knows that it’s too good to be true, too good to ever last (too good for him), but he can’t help it, can’t resist her light and her joy and her warmth.

   It all ends with a choice which he calls hers but knows is his. It’s the only way he could possibly give her a happy ending, and she deserves nothing less.

  The loss leaves him cold.

.

.

.

  The Doctor loves the Master.

   The Master loves the Doctor, in his mad, broken way.

   Their love _burns_ , burns and freezes and cuts and bleeds and destroys them and everyone around them, and the Doctor wouldn’t let it go for anything. He knows that it’s horrible and wrong and selfish, but he _needs_ this, needs to feel something again (needs the pain).

   It all ends with a rejection which he should have seen coming but never could have. It’s the only way the Master could possibly win, and he would settle for nothing less.

   The loss leaves the Doctor numb.

.

.

.

   The Doctor loves River.

   River loves the Doctor, in her guarded, confused way.

   Their love is as twisted as their timelines, and they never had a choice. He knows that his loneliness is as much a weakness as her brainwashing, that his tenth self was just as vulnerable as Melody Pond, but he can’t break the tangled web (even if he wanted to).

    It all ends in a beginning which he longs to prevent but would never dare to. It’s the only way the paradox could possibly be fulfilled, and Time would accept nothing less.

   The loss leaves him drifting.

.

.

.

   The Doctor loves all his companions.

   All the Doctor’s companions love him, in their own ways.

   Nyssa becomes the sort of doctor he always claimed he wasn’t. Martha recognizes his limitations, and her own, and walks away. Sarah Jane defends the Earth, with his technology and his lessons. Jack dies and breaks and rebuilds himself, in his honor (in his image). Jo fights to protect the planet which never seemed so fragile.

  It all ends. Everything, always and forever. It’s the only way it could possibly be, and (he is certain) he deserves nothing less.

   The loss leaves him empty.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

  The Doctor loves the TARDIS.

 The TARDIS loves the Doctor, in her intimate, steady way.

 Their love is ancient and eternal, the only constant in a fluid, chaotic Universe, and they are more intertwined than anyone can understand. He knows that they are irrevocably different, but he will never stop trying to bridge the gap.

   She is the one thing remaining when it all ends. It’s the only way he could possibly go on, and he would not survive with anything less.

   His losses have left him weary, but she is enough.

   She will always be (has to be) enough. 


End file.
